Aleksanteri Kaskimäki

September 2026 – Kaskimaki’s second AHL season with Springfield showed real growth. After posting 11  goals and 34 points as a rookie, he stepped up to roughly 20 goals and 44 points while earning five-game  NHL call-up in December. The NHL stint was brief and pointless (zero points, minus-six), but the fact that  St. Louis trusted him during an injury-depleted stretch says something about how the organization views  his two-way reliability. At 6-0, 195 pounds, he skates well, plays both center and wing, and generates  chances through transition speed and shot volume (over 140 shots on goal in the AHL). The shot is his  best offensive tool, and he uses defenders as screens effectively. His late-season surge (five goals and  seven assists over his last nine AHL games) showed what he can do with confidence. The Blues’ prospect  pool is competitive, with Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Logan Mailloux all ahead of him, so  Kaskimaki profiles as a bottom-six candidate rather than a top-nine lock. Fantasy managers in deep  dynasty leagues should hold. A 25-to-35 point NHL ceiling as a checking-line center with some power  play utility is a reasonable projection.  Andrew Epps

August 2025 – Kaskimaki made his way to North America for the 2024-2025 season, and skated with the Springfield Thunderbirds of the AHL. In 62 games, the 21 year old saw 11 goals and 22 assists, with 10 points coming with the man advantage, and even one while short handed. That the rookie Finn saw time on both special teams, and featured on the power play, is a good sign for the confidence he earned from the coaching staff. He will be a year or two away from earning an extended look at the NHL level, but as the Blues’ veterans age, and he builds on his budding game in the North American circuit, look for him to earn a shot at a middle-six role if his development goes according to plan.

He played 12 games in April and May, earning just two assists, so the extended length of the AHL season will be something he will come into the season with more acclimation to. Kaskimaki is worth a stash if unowned in your dynasty leagues.

January 2024 – Even though he is considered a center, Kaskimaki spent the majority of the 2024 World Junior Championship playing on the left wing of the second line. It was not catastrophic, but it was still an underwhelming tournament for him. He finished with only four points in seven games, falling short of the expectations for a 19-year-old in this competition. All signs indicate that Kaskimaki will return to the Liiga to continue his development in his home country. Cedrick Blais-Turcotte

October 2023 – After a disappointing last season, Kaskimaki has already made significant progress this year with HIFK. In just 12 games, he not only matched his goal total from the previous year (three), but also increased his shots per game from 1.6 to 2.3. This improvement has already had an impact on his ice time, as he is playing an additional three minutes per game. Although it is still too early to jump to conclusions, it’s undoubtedly a major step taken by the young center. Cedrick Blais-turcotte

June 2023 – Kaskimaki’s weight increased by 13 pounds since his 2022 draft, but it did not translate to a better performance on the ice. Last season, in 41 games in the Liiga, Kaskimaki scored only seven points. Despite his reduced role on the team, this was not sufficient. When on the ice, his team only scores eight goals all season, and he did not help that with an awful 4.62 shooting percentage. His playoff performance was a glimmer of hope in an otherwise disappointing season as he equaled his goal tally for the year in just seven games. Cedrick Blais-Turcotte 

July 2022 – Kaskimäki was drafted 73rd overall by the St. Louis Blues. Pat Quinn

May 2022 – Kaskimäki had a successful draft-year campaign, scoring 19 goals and adding 21 assists in 31 U20 games in Finland and scoring his first two professional points in the Liiga, earning a goal and an assist in four games for HIFK. The prospect also wore an A at the U18 Worlds, scoring four points in six gams for Finland at the tournament.

A high-end skater with good puck skills, Kaskimäki weaves in and out of pressure very well, and mans the transition quite well. He can connect plays at high speeds and make himself an option off the puck, while having the one-on-one skill to be a handful for defenders, especially at the junior level. His defensive game and vision need to come quite a long way for him to stick as a center at the pro level, and projects better as a winger given his strengths and weaknesses, but Kaskimäki is definitely worth a top-75 pick as a result of his high offensive ceiling. Hadi Kalakeche